Mai's Disappearance
by larajla
Summary: Mai's powers grow in response to Naru leaving for England. SPR disperses. When Naru returns and tries to get everyone together, Lin discovers Mai's dead. One person in SPR knows that's not true, but has promised not to tell.
1. Chapter 1: Goodbyes

**Goodbyes**

Taniyama Mai refused to crumble into a heap and cry as the question screamed through her head. He distrusted her so much he didn't think she could tell where her heart lie? Her confession was a mistake. She would never utter those words to him again. 

It hurt. Her heart, her body . . . it felt like she ached all over, numb from his rejection. She felt like her world was falling apart. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She promised herself she would not cry over Naru. She fought them back, carefully keeping her face blank so no one could see the pain she was in. 

The drive back to the SPR office was quiet. Mai didn't even try to talk to either of the men in the front seat. Her face turned toward the scenery speeding by, but she didn't see it. She was wrapped in her own world. There was no need to speak to them. She had been used . . . the entire team had been used. They weren't important enough to be told the truth. She held onto the anger, knowing it would be the only thing to allow her to make it through the trip without embarrassing herself further. 

At least I have the rest of my family, Mai thought gratefully.

- x X x - 

Mai stopped counting the days the offices had closed as the former SPR members dispersed. Tears had come many times, but never in front of them. Slowly, the others drifted away. Mai tried to call Monk, but he was touring according to his answering machine. Ayako was working longer hours at the hospital and hadn't returned her calls. Masako was out of the country filming a special. John was in Australia visiting his family. Yasu was starting university. 

Mai felt the same emptiness she had when her mother died. 

She sensed the spirits on the edge of her consciousness. They were getting more aggressive. They wanted her to do things for them. The nightmares were constant now. There were so many she couldn't tell which memories belonged to which spirit. Her exhaustion just added to the problem. 

She pushed them back in her mind, ignoring them the best she could. Only one more week until summer break, she told herself. One more week and she'd focus on how to get rid of the spirits that seemed to plague her. 

Carefully, she put the notebook aside. She'd called two more "psychics" today. They had been frauds as had all the others she had called. She knew she needed help, but with school and work, there was limited time to research people who could help her. So many were just people claiming to have powers. Tomorrow's search would be better, she promised herself. 

She prepared for bed. She changed into her old pajamas, ignoring how worn they truly were. They were unimportant. She brushed her teeth, unable to look at herself as the bathroom mirror had been destroyed weeks ago. It was probably a good thing as the last time she'd looked at herself, she'd looked thin and pale, the dark circles under her eyes making it worse. Sighing, she arranged her futon and tied herself to the cold bathroom plumbing. She made sure the knots were strong and complicated. Untying them had proven to give her extra time to get back from the astral plane the spirits kept pulling her into each night. After waking to find herself standing on the roof of her apartment building ready to jump two weeks ago, she knew she had to do something drastic. Now, the bathroom served as her bedroom as well. 

She looked around to make sure there were no slivers of mirror . . . again. It was a ritual she'd started after the first night she'd woken to find herself untied with the mirror in pieces around her feet. She'd gotten a couple of slivers in her feet since then, but she was now checking. Mai satisfied herself that there was nothing within reach that she could hurt herself with. Nodding to herself, she laid down for another long night.

- x X x - 

Mai could see the orbs floating around her. The astral plane, once a warm welcoming place with Gene there, was now cold and vast. She used to find the floating orbs peaceful, but not anymore. One of them morphed into the vague shape of a tall man. She shuddered as he moved closer, his nondistinct form slowly taking on features. He hadn't been a ghost long. The ones who had been trapped a long time couldn't fully form their features. Running would do no good. He would follow her until he caught her. 

Mai felt the light touch as the first ghost grasped her right arm. She shuddered as his life flashed through her mind. His hand on her arm was cold . . . so cold. It quickly spread through her body. He demanded she help him. Mai tried to explain she couldn't help. There were too many ghosts, too many memories and she was too confused. He demanded again, grasping her arm tighter. She knew he wouldn't listen, but she tried to explain again. Suddenly, her arm burned with the cold where he was grasping it. He walked away angrily, promising to come again every night until she helped him. She looked at the hand print on her arm. She knew it would be on her body when she woke. 

It would be the first of many injuries she'd get tonight. There were more now . . . more humanoid shapes. Beyond them, she could see the soft white glow of so many more orbs. They were all gathering around her. 

At first, she had tried to help. Instead of them going away, they had come faster. It was like they communicated with each other that someone was helping and they all came. Her mind blurred with one vision after another as each ghost pled its case and drove her further from sanity. 


	2. Chapter 2: Mai's Savior

**Mai's Savior**

Yasuhara Omasu frowned as an automated voice told him that the number he was calling was no longer in service. He pushed his glasses up his nose, irritated. He told Mai he'd call her as soon as he got his first break. She asked him for help to research something. Why would she not answer her phone? He located her address and made a mental note as he left his room.

- x X X -

Yasuhara knocked on the door again, hoping that Mai was just taking her time getting to the door. He could feel it shudder under his hand. He wasn't impressed with the neighborhood . . . did Mai have so little money that she needed to live somewhere she wasn't safe? He felt apprehension creeping into his body. Something was wrong. He couldn't understand how he knew it. Mai always followed her intuition, so why shouldn't he?

"Are you looking for Taniyama Mai?" an old voice croaked next to him. Yasuhara turned to see a bent-over old woman. Her white hair was neatly pinned to the top of her head. Her light yellow sundress fell nearly to the floor. Her darker yellow sweater hung from her thin shoulders. Bony knuckles clasped her wooden cane tightly.

"Yes, I am. We are supposed to do some research together for school, but I'm afraid she forgot I was coming," Yasuhara lied easily, his smile lighting up his face. He turned his charm onto the old woman, knowing he could get her to do as he wished.

"I was coming for the rent," the old woman replied harshly. "I haven't seen her in a week and I can't wait for it anymore."

"If you can let me into her apartment, I'd be happy to tell her when she returns," the young man promised, trying to look as innocent as he could. He watched her face as she sized him up.

"Very well. I need it by tomorrow. You will tell her, won't you?" The old woman asked, not sure she should trust him. She had a good feeling about this boy, though.

"Definitely!" Yasuhara agreed, laughing. She reached over and unlocked the door. Then, she waved at him slightly as she left, returning to her own apartment to keep watch for the girl's return.

"Mai," Yasuhara said as he closed the door behind him. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled something bad. He instantly recognized the smell of blood . . . other smells weren't so pleasant or recognizable. He looked around the sparsely furnished apartment, trying to find the source of the smell.

As he moved toward the closed door, the smell intensified. He stood facing the door, guessing it was the bathroom. He knocked, calling Mai's name in case she was in there. Silence. He wasn't sure he wanted to open the door, but grasped the handle anyway. He tried to push the door open, but something was in the way. He gagged as the smell seeped through the small crack. He pushed harder and the door slowly opened.

"Mai," he choked as he looked down. The girl was tied to the pipes under the sink. Her skin was covered with cuts and bruises. Dried blood spotted the floor, including a large puddle under her. He looked around the door and saw that one of Mai's legs held the door closed. It was bent in a way that clearly indicated it was broken. The smells of blood and urine permeated the room and seemed to envelop him.

Yasuhara choked down the bile that rose in his throat. Who did this to Mai? She was the kindest person he knew. It looked like someone tortured her and left her for dead. He reached for her neck, hoping she was still alive, but fearing the worst. He needed to know.

"You're alive?" he whispered to the unconscious body, shocked that she could look as she did and not be dead. He could barely feel a pulse. He pulled his phone out and called an ambulance, noticing that his hands were shaking as he pushed the buttons as fast as he could.

- x X X -

"Yasuhara Osamu?" A soft voice called to him. He smiled slightly, enjoying the voice. "The doctor has news for you," the voice continued.

Yasuhara opened his eyes, realizing he had fallen asleep in the hospital waiting room . . . again. He spent the last two days here. He thought Mai was exaggerating when she said she was unable to contact any of the previous SPR members. He failed as well, which was irritating to say the least.

"I'm awake," Yasuhara didn't try to hide the yawn. Without a shower or decent sleep since he got here, he looked rough. He was more concerned with the chestnut-haired girl than his appearance.

"Please follow me," the nurse straightened up and walked away. Yasuhara groaned as he stood up and followed her. His muscles were protesting from not moving from the uncomfortable chair.

She was alive, though. Yasu focused on that as he followed the nurse. She died the night she arrived at the hospital. The first doctor he met gave him the bad news. Yasu felt like the world stopped. Someone violently attacked her. She was attacked before and rebounded. He held out hope, but when the moment came that she didn't pull through, it felt like someone shoved a knife into him. He could feel the pain in his gut. Then, a nurse ran out yelling that the girl was breathing again. Mai was a fighter and for that Yasu was grateful. He never felt such relief in his life. He silently promised her that she wouldn't be alone again.

"Are you family?" the doctor frowned at the young man.

"I'm her older step-brother," Yasu stated, unwilling to let something like not being related separate them. The doctor nodded.

"Very well, she's still unconscious. She's getting stronger, but we're not sure about the amount of damage. When she wakes up, we'll be able to ascertain the true extent. As you know, she had no life signs for over ten minutes. She was severely dehydrated and starving. Her right leg is broken. Most of the cuts are superficial, but you normally don't see that many unless someone is involved in a car accident. We ended up stitching three of them. She lost a lot of blood. We're slowly replacing it so the shock to her system isn't too bad." Yasu nodded as the doctor talked. He was able to tell most of the same things from looking at her.

"Do you know when she'll wake up?" Yasu asked.

"That depends entirely on her. Do you know how this happened?" The doctor looked over his glasses at the young man, studying him for signs of lying.

"Mai has her own apartment. When she called, I was busy so I told her I'd call back. No one answered when I did. I waited a couple days and then I went over. Her landlady let me into her apartment . . . and I found her like that." Yasu nodded toward the bed where the girl laid. He didn't try to hide the grief evident in his voice. "I checked and found a pulse, so I immediately called the ambulance." The doctor nodded. His story could be checked by the police. He took notes to hand over later.

"So, it was probably a home intruder?" The doctor asked.

"I have no idea. Mai doesn't have a boyfriend, though." Yasu knew that immediate family and relationships were questioned first in a case like Mai's. The doctor nodded again and made another note.

- x X X -

Mai opened her eyes and closed them again. Everything was so bright it hurt. Am I dead?

"Mai?" A male voice called from far away. She turned toward the voice as pain started to flood her consciousness.

"Hurts," she mumbled, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I'll get someone," the voice said and footsteps ran out of the room. Mai was aware of the confusion outside, but chose to ignore it. The pain was starting to throb even more, taking her attention away from anything else.

"Ms. Taniyama, I'm Dr. Nakori. Can you tell me where it hurts?"

"Everywhere," she muttered. "Where am I?"

"Shibuya Hospital. You scared us when you came in . . . twice. First, when you died and second, when you came back."

"I died?" Mai tried to inject surprise in her voice.

"Yes, but you're better now. It's a good thing your step-brother came to visit you when he did." Mai opened her eyes at that and fought to focus on the doctor.

"It's too bright," she said, closing her eyes again. The curtains were quickly closed and Mai looked at the doctor and the figure standing behind him . . . Yasu. So, why was he claiming to be her brother?

- x X X -

The doctor, nurses and specialists eventually left, stating that they felt Mai would have no lasting effects from her ordeal other than a few scars. They let her know the police wanted to talk to her when she was feeling better, but she knew she couldn't tell them anything. They'd lock her up for being crazy.

Mai was tired but curious about what happened since the last thing she remembered was going to sleep at home. Other images floated through her mind, but it hurt too bad to focus. Instead, she looked at Yasu waiting for an explanation. She was too tired to fight as she recognized the look of determination on his face. He went to the door and locked it so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Why are they referring to you as my brother?" Mai asked softly.

"I had to make sure I could see you, Mai. I didn't want to leave you alone." Mai nodded and whispered her thanks.

"What happened, Mai?" Yasu asked.

"When everyone left, the spirits became more and more aggressive."

"Ghosts did this to you?" Mai nodded.

"I can't tell them that, though. They'll think I'm crazy."

"Just tell them you don't remember anything. With the shape you were in, they'll believe it. Are the ghosts here now?"

"No. The silence is so nice." Mai smiled as her eyelids dropped. "I hope they won't find me again." Yasu nodded, knowing there was no way the trouble magnet would avoid them.

"Why didn't you get help?" Yasu asked.

"I tried. You're the only former SPR member that I managed to contact. I tried others. I have a notebook at home with the people I called. I didn't realize how many people claim to have powers but don't. I was looking for someone to teach me. I was going to concentrate on the search during the break. I'm sorry, Yasu, but I need to sleep now." Yasu nodded and watched her fall asleep. He waited half an hour to make sure she was fully asleep and left the room to find the nurse.

- x X X -

Yasu handed Mai's key and final amount owed on her apartment to the landlady. He couldn't believe everything she owned fit in a few boxes. It was mainly her clothes and school books. She would need to find some place new to live when she got out of the hospital. He glanced at the notebook on top of her book box. He had some research to do.


	3. Chapter 3: Life Anew

**Life Anew**

Mai stood nervously at the front door of the small, traditional Japanese house. Her hand held Yasu's tight. He managed to find someone who would at least talk to her and seemed to have some idea about her powers. She was initially excited, but as the day neared, that excitement turned into doubt and slowly into dread. You're just afraid, she chided herself, afraid that this is another dead end. 

It was only a few weeks since she left the hospital. Yasu's family asked her to stay with them until she found somewhere to live. She agreed reluctantly. Watching the family together made her miss her own - both her real one and the one she built only to be abandoned again. The ghosts started to appear while she watched his family doing normal things day after day. She knew not to help them this time and that was holding them back, but she knew they'd start demanding her help again. That thought pushed her to stand in front of this door. Raising her hand, she knocked hesitantly. 

The door opened slowly as a little boy with dark hair and eyes looked up at her. He seemed uncertain about opening the door more than just enough to see who knocked. 

"Hi, I'm Mai. Who are you?" she asked, making sure she sounded happy and friendly. She bent down to his level so she wouldn't appear as intimidating. The little boy's eyes widened and he opened the door a little more. 

"I'm Toki. Are you like me?" he asked softly. 

"You are unique, Toki. No one is like you. We might have some things in common, though." Mai smiled and he smiled shyly back. 

"Koriko is in the kitchen. I broke a cup and there's tea everywhere." 

"Everyone has accidents," Mai said. Yasu felt her loosening her grip on his hand. 

"Well, you can come in," the boy said, stepping aside. He glanced at Yasu who smiled as if he didn't have a care in the world. The boy shrugged and allowed them through the door before locking it behind them and then leading them through the house. 

"Koriko, they're here," the boy said, hopping up on a chair nearest the stove. A small, gray-haired lady looked up from the pot on the stove. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at them and waved them into the kitchen. Her bright floral dress was covered with a slightly stained white apron. Mai immediately thought she looked like a grandmother . . . or at least what she pictured one to be like. 

"Tea's almost ready," she said. "Please join Toki. He seems to think I need protection from you." She smiled at him and ruffled his hair. He frowned and pushed his hair back into place, folding his arms in front of his chest and glaring at the two newcomers. 

Mai sat furthest from Toki to make sure he didn't see her as a threat. Yasu sat to her left, leaving the chair between Mai and Toki for their hostess. Koriko moved slowly, placing teacups on the table and serving tea. She placed a small plate with sugar in the center of the table and moved to her chair. 

"So, Mai . . . it is okay if I call you Mai?" Koriko began. The girl looked terrified and hopeful at the same time. The young man, Yasuhara, was the one calling her to find the girl help. He hadn't gone into specifics, but the girl's name had caught her attention. She hadn't heard the name Taniyama in a long time. 

"Yes, please. Thank you." Mai said, smiling nervously. Koriko smiled. 

"So, tell me what the problem is, Mai. Why do you need my help?" Mai glanced at Yasu who nodded as he took a sip of his tea. Mai took a deep breath and pushed away her tea. She looked at Koriko and swallowed hard, hoping the woman didn't laugh at her or call her crazy. 

"I'm being attacked on the astral plane by ghosts. The injuries I get there are carrying over to my physical body. I need to find a way to stop it." 

"Who taught you to go to the astral plane?" Koriko asked, holding her teacup but not bothering to drink it. 

"At first, Gene just pulled me there when he needed to show or tell me something. Now, the ghosts pull me there." 

"Can you stop them from pulling you there?" Mai shook her head. 

"No. I fall asleep when they pull me out of my body. I just try to make sure I'm somewhere I won't get hurt." 

"Didn't this Gene teach you about barriers?" Koriko asked, watching Mai's face carefully. Mai shook her head again. "I am going to recommend you move in with us. I'll be able to create a barrier to keep you safe while you learn how to do it yourself. Perhaps you'll learn a few more things as well." Koriko smiled softly as she sipped her tea. 

"Thank you, Koriko-san," Mai whispered as tears ran down her face. She didn't bother to hide them. Yasu did what she could not, he found someone to help her.

- x X x - 

Mai woke up slowly, looking at the sunshine on the windowsill. She smiled slightly, brushing her hand over the blue blanket that lay on top of her. It was her first day off in three weeks. Between catching up at school so she could graduate with her classmates and the lessons Koriko was giving her, she didn't stop for anything. This morning, though, she got a slight reprieve. She could relax until lunch. 

After lunch, Koriko was introducing her to others with abilities. She was shocked at how fast Mai learned to create and manipulate barriers. Mai was extremely motivated. Whenever she felt like she was floundering, she pictured herself tied in the bathroom of her old apartment. The contact notebook along with the articles of her death sat on her desk as a constant reminder of what would happen if she failed. The constant reminders would make her try harder. 

Yasu called her every night to hear about her progress. They limited their calls to ten minutes so Mai could keep up with everything. She was excited every time he called. She heard about what he was doing at university and she always shared what she managed to accomplish . . . whether excelling at school or controlling her abilities. He promised to come over the day after she met the others Koriko wanted her to meet so they could continue studying for the university exams she was scheduled to take in a few weeks. 

Her abilities increased substantially as she healed. Mai firmly believed that dying changed something in her. She wasn't sure if it was the first or second time she died, either. She didn't informed Yasu about that little fact. He worried about her enough as it was. 

She wasn't sure if the changes in her powers were good or not. When she discussed her thoughts with Koriko, the older woman immediately agreed and said she knew people who could test and teach her things that she herself couldn't. Mai owed Koriko more than she could ever repay her. She silently promised to make it up to her in whatever way she could when her powers were under control. 

Mai jumped up and dressed. She felt like making lunch would be a great way to start saying thank you to the woman who was slowly becoming her surrogate mother.

- x X x - 

Mai stood before the small group of people. She already knew that Syrika would help her with her astral projection. Syrika was a little older than Ayako, her blonde hair obviously dyed as she left the last few inches near her scalp black. Her logic was if people were offended by her appearance, they would stay away from her. Syrika was shocked that Mai projected without the knowledge of what was happening or how to ground herself. They already had a long discussion during lunch as Koriko shared Mai's frequent out-of-body trips. When Syrika insisted on Mai dropping the honorific when addressing her, Mai insisted the same. Mai knew they would be friends from that moment. 

Mai looked at the people before her. She was shocked that all these powerful people knew Koriko and were willing to help her without expecting anything in return. The first step was terrifying. After lunch, Koriko was in the living room making a lot of noise as she and Toki moved furniture. She watched as they revealed a symbol on the floor under the main rug. 

"Mai, I want you to understand this is necessary. It won't hurt," Koriko said as Toki helped her roll the rug to the wall. 

"What is going to happen?" Mai asked as she watched the symbol on the floor change. When first revealed, it had three points extending out from the center. It was now changing to seven. This had to be magic. Mai realized she was seeing something few people did. 

"Each person will kneel on a point and put their hands on the strokes in front of their knees. This will allow everyone to see into your mind." Mai looked up, fear in her face. "We need to see what you have done, your powers, how the people around you affect you and the possibilities that lie before you." 

"You can find all that out?" 

"Well it won't be just me. You see seven points. Syrika and I will take two. My sister arrived late last night. She'll be the third. You will need one. And we have three more people coming to help?" 

"Why so many? You already know what I can do." 

"Yes, Mai. I do. However, I have never met someone who could grasp the concept of building barriers so quickly. Within a few hours you could fully encompass your body. That's no small feat. Most people take that much time just to protect their mind." 

"I take it there are no barriers allowed?" Koriko shook her head. 

"You won't need them. While we're joined, the house will protect us." 

"Like it sings me to sleep?" Mai asked. Koriko laughed. 

"I have had many people come through that door for help, Mai. Besides myself, you are the first to hear it sing." Mai blushed as she looked down. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Instead, she held her tongue. Koriko had taught her more in a few weeks than anyone had taught her about herself than Mai thought possible. She trusted her with her life. 

"So, let me tell you a little bit about the people who are coming . . ."

- x X x - 

Mai watched the newcomers with trepidation. She didn't know them, but they knew each other and got along fairly well. She slowly looked at each, remembering what Koriko told her about each. 

Akito-san, the tall dark-skinned man who held himself aloof, arrived first. He wanted to see if she had an affinity for magick. He specialized in blood magick, which made Mai shudder when Koriko told her. He was well acquainted with other magicks as well and could help guide her. After Koriko introduced him, Mai kept glancing at him, wondering if she could tell he used magick just by looking at him. He had watched her for a while before questioning her. When Mai asked about magick, thinking of Lin as he was the only person she could think of that used magick, he explained that magick was only the ability to manipulate energy inside and outside of the body. He knew many people who he could recommend should he find any abilities within her. 

Uryanko was the second to arrive. According to Koriko, he would help her explore her abilities with exorcisms and dealing with demons and other evil spirits. Mai was slightly frightened of him as he stood back up after bowing to her. He was a large, hairy man. She didn't think she ever saw a man with so much hair. Mai shied away from him until he started to tease her about it, his dark brown eyes twinkling in amusement. His thick beard hid the smile Mai didn't originally see. She felt overwhelmed by his presence, but after talking to him for a few minutes she knew he wouldn't do anything to knowingly hurt her. He reminded her of a less manipulative Yasuhara. He was also skilled in warding magick and other defensive arts, so Mai felt she'd be with him for quite a lot of time. 

The last arrival, Hatori-sama, as he insisted being called, might be her instructor in PK. He seemed very cold. It fit completely with his white hair and wrinkled face. Mai wondered if everyone with PK tended to be that way. He would be staying after everyone left today to examine her fully after their bonding session and determine if he was needed. He wore long, embroidered robes. They swished around him as he circled Mai multiple times, muttering something about untrained idiots. Mai sighed. Wasn't one Naru enough? 

Since Mai was able to see events inside her dreams, the last person that stood before her was none other than Koriko's sister — Azani. Azani had been out of the house since Mai's arrival. She couldn't wait to meet the sister Koriko talked so much about, though Koriko had only hinted at her sister's powers. While Koriko helped her with barriers, Mai also knew that her hostess' abilities went beyond barriers, including binding and healing. Her sister's powers were move focused on extra sensory perception. 

"Thank you for your help," Mai bowed deeply to the odd collection of people surrounding her. "If there is anything I can do to repay your kindness, I will do so." 

"All we ask is that you help others," Koriko said, smiling at the young girl. She was impressed that the orphan not only realized that she needed help with her powers but once she got it she was willing to work hard to gain control. 

"What do you mean?" Mai asked, looking up. 

"Every one of us struggled to figure out our powers. In the end, it was others who donated their time and energies to help us become who we are. If you see someone who needs help, just like you do, you should help them. It is all we can do for each other." Koriko's eyes smiled softly at the small girl. Mai nodded eagerly. She'd be happy to help anyone. It was that tendency that got her into trouble in the first place.

- x X x - 

Mai stared out the window. Only Hatori-sama was not needed. For some reason, he pulled Koriko to the kitchen for a discussion before he left. Since he told her there was no current evidence of PK powers, Mai felt they were discussing another person who needed help. Mai was very happy to see Hatori-sama leave. If Naru ended up acting like that man, she was glad he broke her heart quickly. 

Everyone else found that Mai's abilities were more far reaching than they anticipated. They would all be staying to do a one-on-one session with her for further testing like Hatori-sama had immediately after they had tested her. Akito would be staying first and spent a short time after dinner explaining how to add blood magick to her barrier skills. She caught on quickly and he congratulated her. 

After she learned the basics of blood magick, they would schedule time for training and would take turns working with her. After spending the day with everyone, she felt relieved that she wouldn't be on her own to figure out her powers. She could feel the stirrings in her heart. The last time that happened was when she met the members of SPR. She forced that thought from her mind. It would only make her upset and she might lose control of her powers. She excused herself and went to her room. Instead of starting to relax and meditate before bed, she moved to the window to watch the sunset. 

Mail realized she was tearing as the sunset became blurry. As much as she didn't want to think of any of the SPR members, she couldn't stop herself . . . and one of those in particular. She pushed aside all thoughts of the narcissist. She hadn't seen him in over a year and it still hurt. He wasn't here. He wasn't coming back. Even if he did, she would have nothing to do with him . . . or the rest. If one of them called her back, perhaps she wouldn't have suffered so badly. She remembered as she cried at Naru and Lin's leaving, they promised to stand by her side. Only one didn't lie and he was coming later to study with her. 

Of all the ex-SPR members, Yasu was the one Mai thought would leave her behind. She smiled, trying to figure out how to tell him what she learned about her powers. Frowning, she realized she didn't have time for daydreaming. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on her nightly ritual so she could get up early in the morning.

- x X x - 

"You can do what?" Yasu looked at her, his face completely shocked. 

"I'm learning blood magick. Akito-san says that I'm a natural." Mai smiled proudly at Yasu. "After we do a few lessons, practiced enough and when I've learned the basics, we'll be working with the rest to see how my various abilities work together." 

"How can you do blood magick?" Yasu asked. "Do you have to kill chickens or something?" 

"I use my own blood." Mai laughed. "Just a little bit. It actually made my barrier stronger. Usually, the ghosts bang on it and it's hard to sleep. With a bit of blood, they won't even touch it. I think there were even less last night hanging around." 

"That's great, Mai," Yasu said, leaning forward in the chair to give her a hug. "Now I can tell everyone my girlfriend's into magick." 

"I'm not your girlfriend, Yasu," Mai shook her head in mock anger. 

"You never know," Yasu wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively only to be answered with laughter. He was so happy his best friend was laughing again. It was a sound he truly missed. 


	4. Chapter 4: The Answer is No

**The Answer is No**

Yasu heard movement in the kitchen. Since Mai finished the last of the requirements for her doctorate a few weeks ago, she was up early every morning making breakfast. It was her way of thanking him for helping her. Some days he just wished she'd sleep in again. He liked it when she wandered through the apartment in a half-asleep state in her pajamas. He had tried to hint at a relationship between them, but Mai was oblivious or didn't have the same feelings he did. After the first year of living together, he had let it go and started dating. 

"Yasu, it's time to get up," Mai called from the kitchen. Yasu pulled the covers over his head. It was his first day off in weeks. He had a lot of accrued vacation time, so they were taking a long weekend. A soft knock echoed through his room. When he didn't answer, she opened the door. 

"If you still want to visit your parents, pick up some new shoes and all those other things you made me write out for our "to do" list yesterday, you need to get up," Mai said, opening the drapes to let the sunshine in. 

"When did you become the happy person in the morning?" Yasu moaned. 

"When I found out that it irritates you as much as your flirting does me," Mai laughed, spinning back toward the door, her short, bright skirt flowing around her thighs. He peeked out from under the covers to watch her. She closed the door as she left the room. She missed the evil smirk on Yasu's face as he jumped out of bed. 

"Oh, Mai-chan," Yasu yelled as he quickly got dressed. "I have a few more things to add to our list."

- x X x - 

Mai didn't have the energy to glare at Yasu. She was more tired than she thought possible. It reminded her of the long nights when they were ghost hunting. Mai pushed the thought aside. It was a lifetime ago. She was no longer that small, uncoordinated girl that broke a company camera and hurt one of the employees. Mai gave up using names of any of the past members of SPR. When the memories came, she would think of them by what they did. It helped her distance herself from them. She sighed and glanced at the mirrored wall behind Yasu's head. She could see the crowded tea room in the reflection as the wait staff hurried to take care of their customers. 

"I do like your new hairstyle," Yasu said as he looked at Mai's new look. Her shoulder length dark hair now featured red streaks going down it and bangs long enough for her to look through. "I'm not too sure how professional it looks, though." 

"I'm working with kids, Yasu. I don't want them to see me as some stuck-up, unapproachable adult who isn't going to listen to a thing they say." 

"So, instead you choose to look like a Goth high schooler?" Yasu laughed. "Even the clothes you picked out fit that look. A little more professional, but I could really get into having a Goth girlfriend." Yasu wiggled his eyebrows as Mai laughed. 

"I don't really care what you say, I like it." Mai smiled. "I'm old enough to choose how I look and let that reflect who I am. Perhaps I should recommend the Goth look to Hatomi." Yasu smiled at the mention of his latest girlfriend. 

"So, how is the new job going, Dr. Taniyama?" Yasu asked, trying to sound serious. 

"Just fine, Mr. Yasuhara. It seems the kids like me a lot better than my predecessor. I just need to get the administration head to stop looking at me like he wants to eat me." Mai frowned. 

"My offer still stands. I can come in and play the loving boyfriend." Yasu took a sip of his tea. 

"I may end up taking you up on that offer if things don't improve in the next week or two," Mai nodded as a quizzical look came over her face. "However . . . Yasu, do you feel something . . . familiar?" 

"You mean sitting in our favorite tea house, in our favorite spot, with our favorite tea? No, nothing familiar at all." Yasu teased her as he sipped his tea. 

"That's not what I meant," Mai said as her head turned quickly to follow a small streak of light as it moved around the room and headed back toward the entrance of the tea house. Mai stared at the area and Yasu shifted in his seat to see what Mai was staring at. 

Mai's face paled as she recognized two people walking into the small restaurant. Naru and Lin silently followed the hostess to a table on the other side of the restaurant. They were both older, but there was no mistaking the pair. 

"Did you know they were back?" Mai whispered. 

"No. I wonder why they're here. This is quite a distance from the SPR offices. Perhaps they're on a case." Mai shrugged and quickly finished her tea. 

"I'm ready to go, Yasu. I want to go home." 

"Mai, it would be rude not to say something to them." 

"Then I'm rude. I don't want to see them again." 

"So, your days of ghost hunting are over?" Yasu asked as he finished his tea. He watched his companion over the edge of his teacup. 

"Yes. With working at the hospital and helping Koriko with her special orphans not to mention my own training, I don't have time to play that narcissist's games." 

"Well, I can't be that rude." Yasu put his teacup on the table. 

"Then you can go say something to them. I'll meet you outside when you're done." Mai started collecting bags. Yasu grabbed a few and headed toward their table. When Mai saw that he had their undivided attention, she fled the restaurant.

- x X x - 

"Welcome back to Japan," Yasu said, bowing slightly. "It's good to see you again Dr. Davis, Lin-san." Two heads moved swiftly in his direction. Yasu could see Mai escaping the restaurant. Coward, he thought to himself. 

"Thank you," Lin replied, glancing at Naru who was still staring at Yasu. 

"So, why are you here? After all, the SPR offices are quite a bit away. On a case?" 

"We came looking for you, Yasuhara-san. You weren't at your apartment, however." Naru said sharply, his eyes cold on Yasu's face. "We are re-opening SPR and looking to see if we can get everyone back." 

"I don't think that will work," Yasu said, allowing himself to look sad over the news. "I haven't heard from the rest of SPR. In fact, you're the first ones I've seen in years." 

"We've already gotten everyone to agree to meeting next Monday . . . well everyone except you and . . . Mai," Naru hesitated over the name of his previous assistant. "Would you at least agree to come Monday morning at 9 AM?" 

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything," Yasu agreed. 

"Excuse me, Yasuhara-san," Lin interrupted. "Your girlfriend looks impatient outside." He nodded toward the large windows where Yasu could see Mai's back as she angrily shifted from one side to the other. He held back a laugh. Mai changed, but surely not that much that the two of them couldn't recognize her. Suddenly a voice spoke in his head, _Are you done yet? I'm sure the narcissist wants his tea more than he wants to talk._

"You are quite right. It's been a long day and we need to get back home. I will see you Monday," Yasu smiled, bowed slightly and quickly left. 

Naru stared at Yasu's girlfriend, trying to figure out why something about her seemed familiar.

- x X x - 

"No." 

"But, Mai . . ." 

"No, Yasu. I will not go back to SPR." 

"Mai, they're your family. You said so yourself." 

"Family helps you, they don't abandon you. There is only one person from SPR that I consider family." Mai stared at Yasuhara. 

"What am I to tell them when they ask about you?" 

"You are the master of deception and lies when you want to be. Be yourself. You haven't seen me. You don't know where I am. If they want to find out about me, they can. I'm guessing they care just as little now as they did when SPR disbanded." Mai glared at Yasu. Yasu nodded. He knew how stubborn Mai could be when she wanted to be. If he was to get her back with her family, he would have to have a plan. He also needed to stay away from her while he was figuring it out and executing it. If she suspected anything, she'd start to telepathically eavesdrop on him.

- x X x - 

Yasu stood outside the SPR door. It looked the same as the last time he was here. In his head, he could still see Mai in her black smart suit for work this morning . . . a little less formal than he thought she should be, but she did work with children who she needed to connect with. He tried to bring up SPR, but she immediately left the apartment, slamming the door behind her. 

Sighing, he opened the door to be greeted by chaos. Mai should be here, he thought as he looked around. Naru looked annoyed. Lin sat at Mai's old desk with his computer working and ignoring everyone. The other four were catching up on their lives since they separated. 

"Well, it seems we have one more," Ayako said, smiling at Yasu. She stood up and gave him a quick hug. "How have you been, Yasu?" 

"Great," Yasu smiled. "How about you?" 

"Desperately needing a break from the hospital," Ayako sighed. "I didn't realize how much time I was putting in until Naru and Lin showed up to ask me to stop by today." 

"Have you seen Mai?" Monk asked, ignoring the niceties. 

"No. Why? Wasn't she invited?" Yasu feigned ignorance, chuckling on the inside. "Did she do something to upset Naru again?" Monk shook his head. 

"It seems Mai is the only one they couldn't find," John said, nodding his head at where the two stoic men sat. "Lin has started from the day SPR disbanded to find out what happened to her." 

"I'm sure she's fine," Masako said. "She'll turn up when we don't want her to and she'll break something or hurt herself like always." Yasu stopped himself from glaring at the medium. Unlike the rest of them, he kept track of everyone after Mai's hospital trip. He knew that Mai was the only one who worked on her powers while SPR was disbanded. She was more powerful than the four sitting in front of him . . . perhaps even more than Naru and Lin. 

"Naru, I found something," Lin said, frowning. He looked at the screen, quickly covering up a shocked look, but his face remained pale. 

"Well, we don't have all day." Naru snapped. 

"Taniyama-san is dead." Lin said, looking up at his friend.

- x X x - 

Yasu's face reflected the shock on everyone else's. While theirs was shock that Mai was dead, his was because Lin stopped researching after seeing that Mai died. But she came back, Yasu felt like yelling at Lin, keep looking. 

Lin shut the laptop case and studied the top of it. He didn't know what to say. Of all the people Naru wanted working with him again, Mai was the only one he mentioned over the years. He knew this was going to be bad. 

Lin looked up as Naru closed the door to his office behind him. He knew he needed to wait until Naru got his emotions under control. He could already feel Naru starting to lose it. 

"How did she die?" John asked, looking at Lin. 

"Someone broke into her home and killed her," Lin said. 

"Why would anyone break into Mai's apartment?" Ayako yelled, jumping to her feet. "She didn't own much of anything. Everyone loved her." 

"They don't know. The case is still open," Lin stated. 

"I want to see what you found," Monk said, his hands fisted at his sides. 

"No, you don't. I wish I hadn't seen the pictures." Lin sighed. He knew the image of Mai's broken body from the police files on the floor of her bathroom would haunt him for the rest of his life. No one else needed to see that. 

"What are we going to do?" Masako asked no one in particular. 

"We continue on . . . in Mai's name," Monk stated. "And we find out who did this to her since the police are incompetent."

- x X x - 

Naru looked at the wall, uncertain of how he managed to get into his office. He was sitting listening to the inane chattering of his soon-to-be employees when Lin announced that one wasn't coming back. She couldn't come back. 

Mai was dead. 

Naru didn't know what to think. Was she dead because he wasn't here to protect her? How many times had he saved her? And he failed her. 

He felt empty inside. She'd never make him tea again. She'd never argue with him again. He wouldn't get to see her in those short skirts. Worse, all those fantasies he enjoyed of her . . . of them . . . would never come true. They would never be together. 

This was his great plan. Get everyone together. Then, push to get Mai to see him as the twin she loved, not Gene. Show her how he changed, how much he wanted her. 

Now, he'd never get his chance. 

Naru felt despair wash over him and didn't notice items in his office start to float. 


	5. Chapter 5: SPR Minus One

**SPR Minus One**

It isn't the same, Naru thought to himself. Even though he knew Mai wasn't here, he listened for her. He caught himself more than once getting angry because she was late . . . only to realize she'd never be late again. He looked at the teacup next to him. His new assistant had no idea how to make tea. He pushed the thought away. He'd fire her later and try again. 

"Shibuya-sama, the client is here," a soft voice called through the door. Naru tensed. It wasn't the right voice. He shoved the despair back down. There was work to do. He was a scientist after all. 

Naru walked into the lobby to find Lin and his new assistant already there. She was serving tea, but started shaking and spilling the tea when she realized he was watching her. He sat in his chair and waved away the girl. He couldn't remember her name . . . it wasn't important. He turned toward the woman seated in front of him. Her business suit was wrinkled. Her graying hair was starting to come loose from the knot on her head. He watched her eyes dart around the room as if expecting something to happen. 

"How can SPR help you today?" Naru asked coolly, opening his black notebook. 

"My son and I are experiencing a lot of strange things," the woman began. She moved closer to the edge of the chair, wringing her hands in her lap. 

"Name, first," Naru barked. Lin sighed. Naru's shortness and irritability became much worse when they found out about Mai. He was seriously thinking of calling Luella and Martin to come take care of their son. His behavior and times of withdrawal were worse than when Gene died. 

"Sorry, how rude of me. My name is Omasaru Keiko." The woman bowed her head. 

"Please state the "strange experiences" you are having as simply as possible," Naru said, not looking up from his notebook. 

"Well, there's knocking, screaming, things moving. My son has been locked in the library a few times . . ." 

"Locking oneself in a library is not paranormal," Naru stated. 

"There's no lock on the door," Keiko stated. "The carpenter couldn't figure out why the door wouldn't open. It wasn't warped or anything." Naru nodded, taking down notes. 

"I hear someone talking to me at night . . . telling me to kill my son," Keiko started crying. 

"What does your husband think of this?" Naru asked. 

"He's been out of the country for the last two months. It's just Beno, the butler and myself in that house." 

"Very well, expect us in two days. We'll need three rooms . . . one should be larger for our base with many outlets for our equipment. The other two will be for sleeping. Give your address and contact information to my assistant." Naru stood up, looking at the woman as he recognized the familiar look of relief on her face. She quickly thanked him. 

Naru walked out of the office. He paused at his door and called out, "Mai, tea" before going inside.

- x X x - 

"Yasu, you can't go," Mai pleaded, holding onto his arm. Her vision haunted her. Each night it became more detailed. The entire SPR team in a library, pressed down and unable to breathe until the demon started killing them one at a time. Yasu was first as the demon flicked his wrist and Yasu's head twisted around quickly. She could still hear his neck pop as it was broken. She could see his cold dead eyes when she shut her own. The demon tortured the rest until it grew tired of them and killed them one by one. For some reason, Lin was the last one. His screaming woke Mai up every day for the last week. The first time she had it, she convinced herself it was a nightmare. After a week, she couldn't deny it any longer. 

"Mai, I'm part of SPR again. We have a case. You could choose to go as well." Mai frowned at him. That was not the answer she wanted to hear. A part of her weakened slightly as their dead faces flashed through her mind. They let her die, but could she let them? 

"They don't want me and I don't want them," Mai stated firmly, pushing the images from her mind. 

"Yes, they do." 

"If they did, they would have contacted me." Mai said stubbornly. Yasu's face twisted into a grimace. "You're not telling me something. Spill." 

"They think you're dead," Yasu said, watching Mai. He was shocked as she started laughing. 

"So, their research skills are so awesome that they think I'm dead. I told you they weren't my family. If they cared, they wouldn't have stopped at one stupid article in the newspaper. It was retracted the next day." Mai knew about the article. She kept a copy to remind her of how bad it could get if she didn't train and get better. 

"Just think of the looks on their faces when you appear, not quite as dead as they think you are." Yasu suggested. Mai glared at him with a look that could rival the looks Naru was giving the last few weeks. "Fine, why are you so against my going on this case?" 

"You're going to die, Yasu." Yasu stopped packing his backpack and looked at Mai. 

"Since when can you tell the future, Mai?" 

"I get flashes sometimes. It's not as often or accurate as my visions of the past. This time, though, I've seen it every night for the last week. I have to believe it's true." 

"You could just be panicking and I'll be fine." 

"I have a *really* bad feeling. You can't go." 

"I am going. It will be okay, Mai." Yasu hugged his best friend. "I'll see you when I get back."

- x X x - 

Yasu arrived as Masako's car pulled up. He looked at the small group. Their faces were determined, but he could see the sadness in them. He wished he hadn't promised Mai not to say anything. 

"Where's the assistant, boss?" Yasu asked Naru, noticing they were short one. 

"She couldn't even make tea." Naru said, stalking to the van and climbing in the passenger seat. 

"Noll fired her," Lin said softly. 

"Third one in two weeks?" Yasu whistled. "Is that a record?" 

"Not for Noll," Lin said as he moved toward the driver's side of the van.


	6. Chapter 6: Case 1 - Demon in the Library

**Case 1: Demon in the Library**

The mansion looked foreboding from the outside. Naru could hear Masako gasp as she got out of Monk's car. A dark aura seemed to surround the building. All of the grass, shrubs and plant life within a few feet of the building was dying or dead. 

"Lin, Monk, John . . . start unloading the equipment. Hara-san, please accompany me to meet our hostess." Naru walked to the door stiffly. He wished the girl walking with him was louder and more obnoxious. He groaned as he realized he was visualizing Mai next to him. For being dead, he saw her more now than the entire time they worked together. His brain would not accept that she was gone. 

Naru knocked on the door. He heard footsteps behind him and realized he hadn't given the miko something to do. He left it alone as the door slid open. 

"Shibuya-san, I'm so glad you could make it." Naru nodded. 

"Omasaru-san, these are two of my employees . . . Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san." Naru indicated each woman as he said her name. He saw their employer's face light up as she recognized Masako. 

"Please come in. My son is still at school. Let me show you where you will be setting up . . ."

- x X x - 

"So, Hara-san, is this place haunted?" Naru looked at the medium as he glanced over the temperature sheet Monk handed him. 

"I can sense two spirits and . . . something else. It's hiding and I can't get more than a few flickers of what it is." Naru nodded and wrote a few notes in his notebook. Lin's typing helped soothe his nerves. He found himself looking for Mai in the monitors more than once after setting them up. He ignored Hara-san's advances and soon found she left him alone to his thoughts of his missing assistant. 

"Are any of them dangerous?" Naru asked. 

"The two . . . no. The other one I can't seem to get close enough to tell." Naru nodded again. 

"Well, let's get some sleep and see what happens tonight. Lin and I will take the first shift." Naru turned back toward the monitors, indicating that he was finished. Without Mai here, there was no reason to join in the conversation behind him. He looked down at his notebook where he wrote down the information the medium gave him. He looked at one word, a name, written in the margins of the page and frowned. He put his finger on the word and closed his eyes. For a moment, it seemed as if she was there. He shook himself out of his daydream and closed his notebook. He needed to focus on the case.

- x X x - 

Ayako burst into the base. She ignored John, Yasu and Monk who were having a quiet conversation away from the two watching the monitors. It was their third day at the Omasaru home. Everything the owner told them proved to be true. Recordings of knockings, screams, objects moving and more were quickly obtained and catalogued. The major spirit was still hiding, though, and Naru was annoyed. Lin and Yasu found nothing about the hiding spirit. They identified the other two, but they needed to get rid of the major one before the others could escape. 

"Masako's gone," she said, breathing heavily. 

"No, she's in the library," Naru said, pointing at a monitor. "She's been in there for ten minutes. Unlike some people, she actually started working at a reasonable hour." 

Ayako looked over Naru's shoulder, frowning. "So, oh-observant-one, how have you not noticed that Masako is in her pajamas and she *never* leaves the room without getting dressed?" Naru stopped and squinted at the monitor, realizing Ayako was right. 

"Lin, library," Naru barked as he headed out of the base. Lin quickly followed along with the rest. 

"Hara-san," Naru said as he entered the library. As soon as he did, he could feel the heaviness of the room. "Are you okay?" Masako turned around slowly and started laughing maniacally at them. 

"I'm glad you could come," Masako's lips moved, but the voice wasn't hers. "It's time for your interfering presence to be removed." The library door slammed shut. Monk grabbed and handle and pulled. It didn't move. 

Lin whistled for his shiki, trying to see how he could help the young girl. Suddenly, a chair flew at him from the side, forcing him to lose his balance and fall. He lost consciousness as his head slammed against the table on the way down. 

Ayako started chanting the nine words and screamed as she was forced down in excruciating pain, but she couldn't stop staring at Masako. Monk joined Ayako as he caught her as she fell. Furniture moved away from the pair as Masako stared at them briefly, an evil smile on her face. They could hear John's voice through the chaos, calm as he started his exorcism. Masako looked at the weak humans around her. Except for one. She focused on the dark haired boy who was watching. She could feel the power in him. She flicked her hand, throwing him against the wall. He tried to stop his flight, only to be thrown into Yasu. Her lips smirked as they slid to the floor, unconscious. Only the priest was standing. Red eyes turned toward him as excruciating pain filled his body as well and he fell to the ground. 

Lin forced the darkness in his mind back and looked around. The others, with the exception of Masako, were also on the floor. A dark mass moved out of Masako and she fell to the floor, unconscious. 

"It's time for you to die," an airy, threatening voice came from the mass. "And I'll start with you," a non-corporeal hand flowed from the mist and pointed toward Yasu. As they watched, the mist slowly morphed into a demon, his red eyes bright with hatred. Yasu felt cold. Mai was right. He was going to die.


	7. Chapter 7: Case 1 - Mai

**Case 1: Mai's Reappearance**

Omasaru Keiko stared at the young girl. Her shoulder-length hair was brown with red highlights. A form-fitting black jacket covered a long-sleeved red shirt. It was unbuttoned enough to see a black camisole underneath. The black and red plaid short skirt showed plenty of her black tights until they landed on the top of the flat-heeled, knee-high black boots. Keiko thought she looked like a Goth school girl. Her impression changed when she looked in the girl's eyes. 

Her large brown eyes were angry . . . no, furious. Her clenched hands were shaking slightly. Something upset her badly. 

"My name is Taniyama Mai." The girl bowed lowly. "Excuse me, is SPR here?" the girl asked politely through her tightened lips. 

"Yes, they are in the library . . . but you can't see them." Keiko chewed on her lower lip and twisted her gray jacket in her hands. Her eyes showed how panicked the older woman was. Was it already happening, Mai thought, am I too late? She pushed the doubt away. 

"Why can't I see them?" she asked carefully. 

"The library doors slammed shut and I can't open them. My son went to get something to pry the door open. I heard one of the girls scream and then it was quiet." 

"That won't be a problem," Mai said, smiling coldly, forcing her fury at Yasu's insistence to help on this case aside. She needed to be in control to help him . . . them. "I'm here to save them." 

"What can you do?" Keiko asked as she led the small woman to the library. Mai didn't say anything. She saw the house in her dreams . . . and knew the layout of the entire building. 

"I'll take care of it," Mai said, putting her hand on the door and tilting her head slightly. She frowned and concentrated. "They're all alive in there. I need you and your son to go out for a few hours. Can you do that?" Mai didn't want the woman to see what she was about to do. The woman was obviously already freaked out. She nodded as her son came in with a shovel. Mai shook her head. The son was an idiot. The older woman grabbed him and dragged him out of the house. Mai waited until she heard the car drive away before she began. 

Mai pulled out a sharp bone dagger from under the back of her jacket. The leather wrapped handle felt familiar in her hand. The blade was as long as her forearm. She opened a hand that was covered with scars. Just one more, Mai thought as she slid the dagger across her left palm. She slid the dagger back in its scabbard and dipped her right index finger in the pool of blood that gathered in her palm. She marked the frame of the door, chanting lowly. From her dreams, she knew about the demon. There was no way to open the doors, so she would have to phase through them. 

When she was done marking the door and frame with her blood, she closed her eyes. I really hate this part, Mai thought as she took a step. She could feel the discomfort as she moved through the door. Her body protested at the unnatural feeling, but Mai took another step. She continued until she was through the door. She could feel a burning sensation on the back of her right shoulder. Mai knew she was within a few yards of a demon. Unwillingly, she opened her eyes to the scene around her.

- x X x - 

The pressure in the room held every member of SPR against the floor. The sounds of desperate gasps for air echoed in the room. The demon held them all down, crushing the life out of their bodies. Mai could feel the pressure, but was able to move because the demon was unaware of her presence and hadn't extended his power to her. 

_I'm here_, Mai pushed the thought toward Yasu. She didn't wait for a response as he would need to grasp the small tattoo on his left hand to push his thoughts back to her. Mai was pretty sure he wasn't able to move. However, she needed him to keep the demon's attention to give her time. She looked around. The demon was focused on the other side of the room . . . specifically at Yasu. Mai could feel the pressure the demon was exerting, but he wasn't aware of her so she could do what needed to be done. 

She crouched and moved behind a broken chair. She needed to put her marks on the floor where nothing would interfere with the barrier . . . preferably with nothing along the paths or within it. The demon destroyed much of the room. Mai planned out an area that should be able to hold her and the demon. All she needed were her four points without anything breaking the lines. She could get two marks down without being seen. The third would need her to move a bit of debris. That was when she'd need Yasu to distract the demon. The last one would include moving the large table but she could put the mark first while being hidden by it. She thought about putting the mark closer, but she knew she needed as much room as possible to maneuver. 

Quickly, Mai outlined her plan in Yasu's head. She heard him state _"go"_ as if it was an extreme effort to do so. She moved and marked two corners with "x" in her blood as she recited the words as softly as she could, hoping she didn't call attention to herself too soon. 

_Now_, she thought as she moved toward her third point. She heard something fall. The demon moved closer to Yasu. She brushed the debris out of the way and placed the third mark. She could hear Yasu trying to say something. She moved under the table and looked around to make sure nothing would obstruct moving the table. As she glanced around, she spotted Naru leaning against the far wall. His eyes widened slightly as he realized someone was free. His blood was running down his face. Mai felt her heart tightening and shut down her panic. She couldn't look at him. If she was distracted they would all die. 

She placed the fourth point after determining how she would have to move the table. She heard Yasu murmur _"hurry"_ weakly. Mai stood up and shoved the table out of the way, making enough noise to draw everyone's attention . . . including the demon. She stepped back into her marked area. 

"What do we have here?" A low voice rumbled through the room. The demon leaned toward her . . . sniffing at the air. "I smell someone . . . fresh. Did you come to give yourself to me, little girl?" The demon slowly moved toward her. Mai took a step back, then two. Silently, she encouraged the demon to follow her. Her feign at looking vulnerable was working. She continued to back up slowly. 

"So, who should I play with first? The ones who tried to hurt me or you?" The demon looked puzzled as Mai didn't reply but moved backward slowly. He looked at the floor and saw the blood marks on the floor where the table was. Shocked, he looked at the girl and tried to get out. She slammed her bloody left hand to the floor and started chanting. 

A barrier sprung up around the demon and the girl. The SPR members felt the pressure leave them. The demon, seeing that most of his toys were now out of reach roared with anger. He threw himself against the barrier, but it didn't break. He turned toward the girl who was in the barrier with him. At least there was one left. He'd show her what happened to humans who tried to bind him and then he'd go back for the rest. 

Yasu gulped air into his lungs. He could hear the other members doing the same. He forced himself up into a standing position. His entire body hurt. He needed to help her. She saved them and now she was trapped with the demon. 

"Mai," Yasu yelled as he moved toward her. A strong hand grabbed him. Yasu looked up to Lin's face. He looked worried. 

"If you touch the barrier, it could fall. She's using it to hold him and his powers in, not keep us out," Lin stated as he watched the scene within the barrier. 

Everyone moved to surround the barrier. Faces looked shocked as they realized Mai was alive, then fearful because she traded her life for theirs. They could see the demon circling Mai as she moved carefully away from him. They could see her lips moving, but no sound came through the barrier. The demon grinned evilly at her and became mist, filling the inside of the barrier and obscuring their view of the small girl. 

"She's going to die," Bou-san said, his face white. 

"It won't be the first time," Yasu couldn't stop the comment from coming out of his mouth. He stared at the barrier, knowing he was about to be the focus of their attention and it wouldn't be pleasant. 

"Yasuhara, how long have you known she was alive?" Naru's voice was cold and hard. His eyes flashed, giving away his anger. 

"Since the doctor told me," Yasu shrugged. "I tried to call you . . . all of you. It was the worst night of my life." Perhaps the truth will throw them off the scent of me, he thought. 

"What do you mean?" Ayako asked, choking back her tears. 

"The night she died. I tried to call you." Yasuhara looked pointedly at each member of SPR. "No one answered or called me back. So Mai died . . . and came back. And the people who she felt were her family couldn't care less." A note of bitterness entered his voice. 

"So when Naru came back to put SPR back together . . . " John began. 

"She wanted nothing to do with SPR . . . with any of you." Yasu saw no reason to hide the truth from them. 

"Then why is she here?" Lin asked. When Mai made up her mind, she was as stubborn as Naru. 

"To save me," Yasu said. "It was the only way to get her near any of you. She warned me I would die on this case and didn't want me coming. She's paying me back for saving her." 

"I want to know what happened to her . . . now," Naru hissed. The rest of the team nodded. Yasu stared at his boss. 

"Except for a few hints, I have no idea. Mai wouldn't tell me everything that happened, but I think something is happening there." Yasu nodded at the barrier as it shuddered. Mai stepped out backward, gingerly putting her feet down slowly. 

"Mai . . ." Bou-san said, moving toward her. He stopped when she pulled a bloody dagger from behind her back. 

Mai looked at her left palm where the blood no longer flowed. It wouldn't take much to start the flow again. She pressed the blade down carefully and watched the blood begin to pool in her palm. She put the blade into the sheath. Rubbing her hands together, she continued to chant softly. She put her hands against the barrier and began to push gently on it. As she pushed, the barrier became slightly smaller. She walked around the barrier to another point and pushed on it, still chanting. She continued until she halved the size of the area. She pulled the blade again and shoved it into the barrier. They heard an ear-piercing scream and the barrier fell. The demon vanished with it. 

"Mai," Yasu said, moving toward her. 

"I told you not to come. Why can't you listen?" Mai whirled on Yasu. Her clothing was tattered from the demon's attack. Scratches, bruises and blood stained her skin and clothing. Soundlessly, she slipped the blade behind her into the sheath which was now visible through the ripped jacket. 

"Mai," Yasu began again. 

"No," Mai said coldly, walking up to him and putting a bloody finger on his lips. "I'm leaving. If you're coming with me, I suggest you hurry." Yasu nodded and moved quickly out of the room, the previously immovable doors opened easily. 

"Mai," Bou-san said, starting to move toward her again. Mai held up her bloody hand, refusing to look at any of them. She started walking toward the door. Almost casually, she leaned against the door frame. She wasn't going to let them know how much that exorcism drained her. She felt the house . . . the walls, the floors . . . the remaining spirits wouldn't hurt them, not that she really cared, she told herself. 

"You can handle the last three spirits," Mai said as she stood up and began walking through the door. 

"Two," Masako said smartly. Mai ignored her remark. 

"I suggest you refrain from taking cases you're ill-equipped to handle, Shibuya-san," Mai stated flatly. Yasu appeared at Mai's side, waving slightly to the rest of SPR as he followed her out the door. With a wave of her hand, the library doors slammed shut behind her.


	8. Chapter 8: Case 1 - Conclusion

**Case 1: Conclusion**

"Noll, you need to calm down and control yourself," Lin stated. "If you keep this up, you'll destroy all the equipment." He watched the road ahead of them, trying to give his young companion some privacy in the small area of the van. Lin already started totaling the damaged equipment as they were packing. 

Everyone else avoided Naru after Mai and Yasu left. They easily exorcised the three ghosts, not two as Hara-san claimed, and readied to leave the next day. It was obvious he was more than angry. The only good thing, Lin thought, was that they packed up faster and quieter than he could ever remember. 

After a quick goodbye, the four members piled into Monk's car. Lin knew that they wouldn't meet them back at the office. If he had a choice, he would have gone home too. 

"Why didn't Yasuhara tell us she was alive?" Naru asked, not expecting an answer and Lin didn't give him one. It was best to let Naru get it out. 

"When did her abilities change?" Lin shrugged at Naru's question. They were gone for years, so it seemed she spent her time wisely improving herself. 

"She knew SPR was operating. Why didn't she come back?" Obviously, Mai-san had her reasons, Lin thought. 

"Where did she learn to exorcise a demon by herself?" 

"Mai was the girl with Yasuhara at the tea house. He called her his girlfriend." Technically, I called her his girlfriend, Lin thought. It was better if he didn't point that out to Noll, though. 

"Lin, SPR will be closed tomorrow. I'm going to Yasu's apartment and get answers." Lin nodded, glad he wasn't Yasuhara.

- x X x - 

"Boss, how nice to see you. Is there a reason you're visiting me?" Yasu asked. He felt a slight tinge of worry, but pushed it aside. Naru could question him all he wanted, but Mai always glossed over what happened in her bathroom. He knew the basics, but also knew it was a lot worse than she let on. 

"We are going to talk," Naru said, stalking into the apartment. 

"Actually, I think it would be more accurate that you plan to interrogate me and expect answers that I probably don't have," Yasu answered the unasked question and went to grab a bottle of sake. He was expecting the head of SPR since he arrived at his apartment and, while he wouldn't admit it, the stress was killing him. Now that Naru was here, he knew he could handle it. What a waste of a day, Yasu thought. 

"Where is she?" Naru asked. 

"Where is who? Oh, you said she. You must be referring to my girlfriend. She works in the afternoons, so she's not home right now. Would you like some sake?" Naru glared at him and Yasu shrugged, pouring himself a glass and carrying it as well as the remainder of the bottle to his favorite chair. Naru sat on the love seat across from Yasu. 

"Mai. Is she your girlfriend?" 

"Well, she is a girl and she is my friend. My best friend, actually. So, I would have to say yes." Yasu leaned back and sipped his sake. He wondered how long before he could get Naru to lose control. He could already hear some of the glasses tinkling together. Mai would be very upset when he broke her favorite glasses. 

"Why didn't you tell us she was alive?" 

"Well, I told her you were back. She saw you at the tea house actually. She didn't want to go back to SPR. I can't really blame her. Her boss was a real ass." Yasu smirked as he heard the glasses knocking against each other harder. 

"You could have told us she was alive." 

"And you could have looked beyond that one article. Just one more day to see the retraction . . . and that was larger than the original article. If you'd really cared, you would have gotten the entire story, not stopped when it wasn't comfortable anymore. By the way, have you started looking for your fourth assistant yet?" 

Yasu and Naru were glaring at each other and failed to hear the door unlock and Mai come into the apartment. She heard the glasses tinkling and peaked into the living room. She groaned. Yasu was tormenting Naru. How did it end up her job to keep him alive anyway? Mai choked back a laugh as she realized that was probably what Naru thought of her. Well, might as well get it over with. Mai took a deep breath. 

"Yasu, I'm home. I see you forgot to start dinner." Mai walked out into the living room. Naru turned around quickly, taking in her black business suit, unbuttoned jacket and short, fitted skirt. She placed a black briefcase down and leaned against the wall, sliding off her matching high heeled shoes. "I see you have a visitor. Good evening, Shibuya-san. I'm sorry for intruding. Excuse me while I change." Mai picked up her briefcase and walked to her room, refusing to let Naru see any weakness. 

"She lives with you?" Naru asked, shock on his face. Yasu knew Mai played it perfectly. He wanted to run to her and give her a quick high-five. 

"Of course she does." 

"For how long?" Naru's voice became quieter. 

"We moved in together her first year at university and have been together since." Yasu saw no reason to point out that they shared living expenses, not a bed. Let Naru think what he wanted. After all, it wasn't as if Yasu hadn't tried to be more than just Mai's friend. He didn't want to think of the nights he'd heard her crying out Naru's name and knew he had no chance. 

Yasu watched Naru's face as emotions flew by. Obviously, Mai meant more to him than he realized. Yasu continued sipping his sake as he watched Naru trying to come to terms with what he'd just learned. 

"Yasu, I want a light dinner tonight. What do you think?" Mai came out of her bedroom. Yasu recognized the oversized shirt she was wearing over her tight, very short shorts immediately. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was only wearing the shirt. Yasu glanced at Naru who was quickly hiding the shock on his face. 

"So you have my favorite shirt? I've been looking everywhere for it, Mai." Yasu teased her, but Mai could see he was joking. 

"Well, if you did your own laundry, I wouldn't have a chance to steal it, would I?" Mai teased back. She turned to Naru, being sure to keep her face controlled. "Would you like to join us for dinner, Shibuya-san?" He opened his mouth to reply and closed it again. The sunset behind her came through the window and he could see her body under the shirt. She changed physically as well as mentally. He memorized her womanly figure, knowing it would appear in his dreams tonight just as the tattered red and black outfit filled his dreams the night before. 

Mai tilted her head, as if trying to figure out what Naru was doing. She heard his thoughts, however, and was trying to figure out if he was playing games with her. 

She walked up to him and sat on the low table in front of him. "Earth to Shibuya-san," she smiled coolly as his eyes suddenly focused on her face. He could feel the heat coming off her body. He could smell the soft perfume that she wore. "Are you joining us for dinner?" Naru nodded, not trusting himself not to say something embarrassing. 

"Okay, give me about 30 minutes." 

"Good, I can take a shower," Yasu said, pulling his shirt off as if this were an everyday occurrence. "Naru can help you if you need to reach anything." Mai swore under her breath. What was Yasu playing at? Annoying Naru was fun, but why was she his target now?

- x X x - 

Mai didn't feel like eating. Naru hadn't even tried to touch his food. He glared at the two roommates and drank his tea . . . Mai's tea. For the first time since he returned to Japan, it felt right. Naru was where he needed to be. There was only one problem . . . Yasu. He watched as Mai picked up a piece of fish carefully and put it in her mouth. To her, it was as dry and tasteless as every other piece was. 

"So, how was your day?" Yasu started, outlining a plan to get Naru to admit his feelings and Mai to rejoin SPR . . . at least on a limited basis to start. Mai shrugged. 

"I'll be late tomorrow. I have to stop at the house on the way home. Koriko has a new addition and I need to do some preliminaries on him." 

"Him?" Yasu asked, saying it a bit louder to catch Naru's attention. He saw Naru's tell and knew he was paying close attention. 

"Yes. He's a teenager. I guess he got in a lot of trouble and the police were thinking of charging him before Koriko stepped in. I have to make an evaluation, but she wanted him to spend the night first and see if he would be able to adjust to the house and everyone else adjust to him." Yasu nodded. Naru wondered what kind of evaluation Mai would be making on someone. Obviously, Yasu wasn't concerned about what she was planning to do. 

"So, I guess dinner out tomorrow night is a bad idea?" Yasu asked. 

"Yes. Why? Do you want to go out?" Mai asked, ignoring Naru who loudly put down his empty teacup. 

"I owe you for saving me and thought a nice dinner out would be great. You know, candles, music . . . the works." 

"And Hatomi will be joining us?" Mai asked as she moved into the kitchen to make more tea. She left the water simmering on the stove, knowing Naru wouldn't stop at one cup. 

"Of course," Yasu's eyes twinkled as he saw the question in Naru's. "Don't you like Mai's cooking, Naru? I always tell her she could have been a great chef." Naru looked down at the plate and realized he hadn't touched any of it. He put a piece of fish in his mouth, enjoying the flavor that greeted his tongue. Mai came back in with a new pot of tea and filled Naru's cup. He looked at her, realizing the open neck of Yasu's oversized shirt allowed him to see down the inside. He could see the dark lacy bra she was wearing. He looked away, marveling at how much she changed. Mai glanced away at his thought, not wanting him to see her blush. How could he still affect her after all these years? 

"Who is Hatomi?" Naru asked after swallowing his fish and picking up his tea cup for a sip. 

"Yasu's girlfriend," Mai stated as she put down the tea pot and moved back to her chair. Naru choked on his tea as Mai turned her glare on Yasu. Naru glared at Yasu as well. What did Mai mean his girlfriend? How many girlfriends did Yasu have? 

"He assumed," Yasu shrugged away Mai's glare. 

"He assumed or you helped him assume?" Mai asked icily. "Exactly how much did you embellish?" 

"Explain." Naru said, having put down anything else he might choke on. He was uninterested in the argument, but was confused by the dynamic of these two. 

"We're roommates, not boyfriend and girlfriend," Mai said, still glaring at Yasu who chuckled. So Yasu deliberately misled me, Naru thought, watching the expression changes between the two of them with no words. So, if Mai wasn't his girlfriend, there was a chance he could put his plan in action. Naru looked thoughtful and ate another piece of fish once he felt it was safe to eat. 

"And do you have a boyfriend, Mai?" Naru asked, trying to make the question sound like he was just keeping the conversation going instead of feeding the warmth that was starting to grow within him. 

"I really don't think that's any of your business," Mai stated flatly. 

"I like to know about my employee's lives so I can anticipate any issues that might arise," Naru said, leaning back. Mai's tea was definitely making him feel like himself. Her avoidance of the question could only mean she didn't. He smirked. 

"I am not your employee anymore, Naru," Mai said. Yasu smiled slightly. First obstacle accomplished. Mai called him Naru. 

"You could be. Of course, we'd need to test your abilities and settle on a reasonable salary after that was determined." Naru looked over his tea cup. 

"I doubt you could afford my services, Shibuya-san." Yasu rolled his eyes in his head. Naru managed to put Mai on the defensive with just one comment. 

"And those would be?" Naru asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

"And I thought you liked knowing everything. It seems you failed. But then again, you did believe I was dead." Mai deadpanned, staring at her former employer. Yasu shook, trying not to laugh as Mai insulted Naru. He could see the anger on Naru's face as it flickered before being hidden behind Naru's well-practiced cool glaze. "Perhaps you should have your current assistant look into it." Mai picked up her half-eaten dinner and went into the kitchen. 

Suddenly, Yasu heard Mai's voice in his head, demanding that he bring his dishes in when he was done. Yasu looked up as Naru choked on his tea again, shock on his face as he looked toward the kitchen. Obviously, she'd told him telepathically as well. This would be interesting.


	9. Chapter 9: Taking the First Step

**Taking the First Step**

Mai glanced over at Yasu as he pulled the car in front of the SPR offices. Naru convinced Yasu that they needed Mai's account of events on the last case to finish the paperwork. As they were now officially part of BSPR, they needed to make sure all witness accounts were included. Since Mai was on site and actually participated in the case, her experiences needed to be documented as well. 

Yasu picked Mai up from Koriko's house and explained where they were going before starting the car. If she reacted badly, it was better before he started driving. Mai merely nodded as she pulled out her tablet and finished her report on Koriko's latest arrival. It was almost as if she was expecting this. 

"Are you going to be all right?" Yasu asked as he turned off the engine and turned toward her. Mai packed her tablet avoiding looking up at Yasu. 

"I don't know," Mai admitted. "I don't want to see them, but at the same time I do." She frowned. 

"You still love every one of them. They screwed up. You need to forgive them, especially Naru." Mai's face looked up, shocked. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Did you see how jealous he was when he thought we were together? I was sure there was going to be a lot more broken glasses." 

"Of course, you did nothing to push him to that." Mai glared at him. 

"Me?" Yasu laughed as he climbed out of the car and moved around to open Mai's door.

- x X x - 

Everyone became silent when Mai and Yasu walked into the SPR lobby as if they were afraid she wasn't really there. Mai sat straight up in the chair she chose. The chair allowed her to be apart and not invite hugs or any other intimate gestures. Lin looked inquisitive, but refrained from saying anything. Naru sat in the chair next to her with his black notebook in his hands. 

"Name," Naru stated. 

"Dr. Taniyama Mai," Mai replied back just as shortly. Naru looked up at her, slightly shocked. 

"And your degree is in?" 

"Psychology." Tension in the room built as they realized neither Mai nor Naru were going into the antics they normally would. They were both cold and professional. 

"And you work where?" 

"Naito Hospital." 

"For how long?" 

"Almost nine months," Mai focused on Naru. If she looked at the hopeful faces around her, she knew she'd crumble. She just needed to get through the questions so she could leave. She was still sure she didn't want to join SPR. She might be willing to try to rebuild the relationships she once shared with everyone in this room, but didn't want to rebuild them while hunting ghosts. 

"Please tell us, in your own words, the events that lead to you joining the Omasaru case, your actions in the case and any afterwards that have bearing on said case." You can't be more open-ended than that, Naru, Mai thought to herself. How much should she tell them? Did she want them to know about her powers? Mai felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Yasu. He was smiling down at her. He gripped his hand and thought at her, _you can do this_. Mai took a deep breath and nodded. 

"For a week before the Omasaru case, I experienced a recurring dream. I didn't want Yasu to go. I knew he was going to die." 

"How long have you had prophetic dreams?" Naru tried not to look too interested. He knew pulling information out of her about her dreams was always difficult and with new abilities, it was sure to be even harder. 

"Not normally. I'll get flashes, but not full dreams." Naru nodded, indicating she should go on. "When Yasu went anyway, I knew I was the only one who could save him." 

"I'd like to go back to the dream, before we proceed. What exactly happened in it?" Mai visibly moved back in the chair and away from him. Naru stared at her. He was not going to let her avoid his questions. 

"I don't think that is important. I knew something bad was going to happen and I stopped it." Mai tried to avoid the question. 

"Mai," Naru glared at her. Mai looked around at the others in the room. Each looked older, more world worn. She saw hope, happiness and fear in the eyes around her. 

"I really don't want to tell you. I don't think anyone here wants to know how they died." Mai felt tears in her eyes. She tried to push them away, knowing this feeling well. She needed to protect them . . . even if she was upset with them they were her family. She wanted to forgive what they unknowingly did to her. 

"Then, we all died?" Mai nodded at Naru's question. "If we come up against something like this again and there's a way to prevent it, I need to know, Mai." Mai closed her eyes as tears started flowing down her face. She could hear gasps as she forced the voices out of her mind. She focused on the dream and held her hand out to Naru. She heard Yasu whisper for Naru to take her hand. He hesitated, but then grabbed it firmly. 

Images flashed through Naru's mind. He closed his eyes to focus on the images. He saw the house, the three ghosts and then the demon. In a flash they were in the library. The demon left Masako as she collapsed. Everyone was in the room as he remembered it. He saw Yasuhara's neck snap with the demon's gesture. He could feel Mai's fear as Yasu's dead eyes looked up at nothing. Monk and Ayako were next as their hearts were ripped out of their chests and the demon gleefully ate them. John's crucifix was shoved down his throat until he choked on it. The demon then moved his attention to Masako who he sexually assaulted. Naru saw himself try to use his PK to stop the demon, weakening himself to the point where he could only watch as the demon's actions killed the medium. He watched himself die as the demon stood up in front of Lin. Naru watched the sanity leave Lin's eyes and he went beserk. Screaming and physically attacking the demon, only to be quickly disposed of with a claw through his abdomen. The vision stopped and Naru opened his eyes, seeing the pain he felt reflected in Mai's eyes. She would never tell them what happened. It was too much. There was no way to protect themselves from that demon or any other. Naru pulled his hand from Mai's and excused himself to the bathroom.

- x X x - 

Naru stared in the mirror. The woman in the lobby wasn't his Mai any longer. She grew up. The powers she possessed were no longer latent. Her changes didn't make him want her less, but more. Her physical changes were expected. He found them more enticing than he would admit to anyone. Her powers, though, pulled him toward her. 

The feelings inside him were twisting. Before he wanted to date her, to see if what he was feeling for her was what Gene would call love. Something primal was stirring in him now. The vision she shared was horrible, he would never say otherwise. She shared part of herself with him. True, part of it was to protect the others, but she could have just explained in his office so the others didn't hear. 

He wanted to know her. Find out more about the powers she now controlled. With that desire, he also wanted to know about her in a purely physical way. When she first touched him, he could feel the tingle of power. He wondered what it would feel like to be pressed up against her naked body. 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed his physical response down. The others probably thought he was experiencing sickness from seeing the vision. It was better they thought that than where his mind . . . and body . . . were pulling him. 

There were two things he was now certain of. Mai would return to SPR. Not only that, she would be his.

- x X x - 

Mai's hands shook as she made tea in the kitchen. She could hear the others whispering. They hadn't said a word as she left, not believing what they saw. Mai blocked everyone but Yasu from her mind. She didn't want to hear all the shock and horror at her abilities that was sure to be thought but not discussed. Naru hurrying to the bathroom was not normal. His actions freaked them all out. Mai wanted to give them some time. 

_Are you okay?_ Mai heard Yasu's voice in her head. 

_Yes. I'm done making tea. Can I come back in now?_

_Yes, they are a little freaked out, though._ Mai nodded. She'd be freaked too. She heard Naru return to the lobby. At least he didn't get sick, she thought as she carried the tea and enough cups for everyone.

- x X x -

"Mai, what happened to you?" Monk asked quietly, looking in his tea cup. 

"What do you mean?" Mai asked. 

"You've changed. More than most people do. Your powers aren't latent anymore. Whatever you shared with Naru was so bad that he found it necessary to leave the room and you just went to make tea." Monk's voice was getting louder. 

"I guess that happens when you die," Yasu piped in. 

"How did you die, Mai?" Naru asked as he accepted his cup of tea. He didn't want to share a dream with her to see how she died. He had enough to sort through after she'd revealed her dream from the Omasaru case with him not to mention his own responses to her as a woman. 

"Which time?" Mai asked, carefully sipping her tea and ignoring the shocked gasps. 

"Hold it," Yasu put his tea down forcefully. "You died once. In the hospital emergency room. I was there." 

"No, I died in my bathroom the first time. I was leaving when you came in, Yasu. I heard you whispering, begging me not to be dead. I wanted to tell you it was okay, that they couldn't hurt me anymore. I guess I wanted it a little too much." Mai smiled softly at him. 

"Mai, people don't remember dying," Ayako said, her eyes wide in shock. 

"I do remember. I even saw my parents the second time." 

"Mai, how did you die the first time?" Lin's soft voice floated across the room. Mai glanced at the older man. She'd kept this in so long, she wondered how to put words to what happened. She wanted to make sure she glossed over the worst of it . . . just tell them enough that they wouldn't lock her up to keep her safe. She took a deep breath and began speaking. 

"Everyone left. I didn't realize how much protection everyone provided me until you were gone." Mai took a shaky breath. "At first it was only a few ghosts a night. At the end, there were hundreds begging for help. Hurting me because I couldn't. Every time I slept, I would be attacked and when I woke up, I'd be bruised and cut where they hurt me in my visions. Then, they started possessing me. I woke up once when I was jerked out from in front of a moving car. I knew I needed help when I woke up on the roof of my apartment building ready to jump." 

"That's when you called me . . . to get help." Yasu nodded, remembering. Mai nodded as well. 

"My search for someone to help me with my powers found me talking to liars and con artists." Mai frowned at the memory. "The spirits finally had enough and killed me in my vision." Tears appeared in the eyes of those around the table as they remembered the calls they'd received from her, asking for them to call her back. Each person planned to do so, but never did. 

"Then, the second time was in the hospital." Yasu started and Mai nodded again. 

"Yasu found someone who could help me understand and control my powers. I finished high school, went to college, got a job and now I'm here." Mai smiled softly, glancing around the room. Monk was the first to move, grabbing her out of her seat and pulling her into a hug. 

"Bou-san, you need to not hold me so tight I can't breathe, I might die again," Mai said, smiling at him. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. Ayako moved around the table and joined in the hug. 

In the end, only one person didn't join the hug. He was still coming to grips with watching the people he came to think of as his friends die. One of them meant more to him than he realized. There was no way he would allow any of them to be hurt. Mai was going to come back. She would become his assistant again . . . and eventually his girlfriend. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice Mai sitting down again, a light blush on her cheeks. His concentration on his thoughts did the same thing as Mai when she focused and pushed them out to her intended recipient. She could hear him as if he was talking to her. Obviously, Yasu hadn't told Naru that . . . or he wouldn't be thinking those thoughts . . . about her.


	10. Chapter 10: Double Date

**Double Date**

Naru stood in front of the restaurant, the paper Yasu handed him last night in his palm. He looked down . . . Kozue at 7 pm. Right place, right time. He pushed the paper into his pocket and opened the door. He walked to the front table, ignoring the looks the women around him were giving him. 

He quietly said Yasu's name, quickly being answered with a smile and assurance that the rest of his party was waiting for him. Naru followed the maitre'd to the table where Yasu and Mai sat with a chestnut-haired woman . . . probably Hatomi, he thought. She reminded him of Mai. Hatomi looked good in her little black dress, but his eyes were drawn to Mai's bright red dress and bare legs that stretched under the table. Hatomi's hair was longer than Mai's, but her body type was very similar. Naru wondered briefly if Yasu cared for Mai more than a friend, then pushed the thought away. They lived together. If there was anything between them, it would have already happened. 

"Ah, our last member," Yasu stated, watching Mai's face as she turned around and saw Naru behind her. Her face turned red like her dress. He was in black, no surprise there, but he added a white shirt under his jacket. He looked good . . . but then he always does, she thought. She glared at Yasu, who smiled easily. "Hatomi, this is Shibuya Kazuya, the boss of SPR. Mai gave him the nickname "Naru" and we all seem to use it. Naru, this is my girlfriend, Nyoga Hatomi." Mai listened as they exchanged pleasantries and Naru took the seat to Mai's right. She refused to look at him. Yasu knew she was still trying to figure out how much interaction she was willing to endure with her former SPR family. So, why would he invite Naru to dinner? Mai felt arguing at the table in the fancy restaurant would be tasteless and chose to berate him mentally instead. 

_Why did you invite him? You *know* I didn't want to see any of them for a few days._ Mai thought at Yasu. Naru saw Yasu grab his left hand. He'd seen Yasu do that before. 

_Double-date, Mai. Hatomi said she'd feel more comfortable if you had a date,_ Yasu replied. 

_So, Naru is the only man you could think of?_ Yasu shrugged, released his hand and smiled widely at his girlfriend, ignoring Mai's question. Naru watched the exchange, wondering if Mai was telepathically yelling at her roommate for inviting him. 

"Yasuhara, why do you keep grabbing your hand?" Naru asked. 

"I didn't realize I was," Yasu said smoothly. Mai turned and glared at Naru. He heard "later" in his head. Obviously Hatomi knew nothing of Mai's powers, nor did they want her to know. He filed the information away to ask again later. 

Dinner went by too slowly for Mai. Naru caught her glancing his way more than once. She frowned. Her favorite restaurant and her favorite meal . . . all ruined by the narcissist. Mai tried to concentrate on the conversation, but her mind kept wandering to the man at her side. He definitely wasn't a boy any longer. She felt the familiar ache from when she was younger. She could occasionally smell his cologne as waiters passed their table. The idea that she didn't have feelings for him anymore faded. She was still responding to him, even when she didn't want to. Her feelings, though, changed. She wasn't content to moon over him like a lovesick school girl any longer. She wondered how he would feel if she reached out and touched him . . . just for a moment. She stopped eating as she realized her body was responding to him sitting next to her. Mai, you've got to get it together, she told herself. 

"So, how long have you and Mai been dating?" Hatomi asked. Mai choked on the water she was sipping as her attention was drawn abruptly back to the conversation. Naru smirked in Mai's direction. 

"This is our first date. We've known each other for years, though," Naru said, putting his arm around her shoulders. He felt her stiffen slightly, but she didn't push him away. 

"So, not love at first sight?" Hatomi pushed, intrigued that someone finally caught Mai's attention. 

"Actually, I think Mai saw through me from the moment she met me," Naru smiled. Mai glanced at him and recognized the smile. It didn't reach his eyes. _Why are you really here?_ She thought at him as she sipped her water again. Naru kept his mind blank as he stroked her shoulder with his thumb. Mai could feel the connection taking hold. No one told him that physical contact was the key to telepathically communicating with her. Had he guessed? 

"So, how did you meet Yasuhara?" Naru asked. 

"Oh, at the office. He might be a lawyer, but I'm just a secretary. He was always so nice, I couldn't help but fall for him. One time . . ." Naru half-listened to Yasu's girlfriend as he watched Mai. Her shoulders were bare in the red sleeveless dress. Her wrap hung over her right shoulder. He felt a tingling moving up his hand as he stroked her soft skin. It was more than attraction for her . . . he'd felt that pull from the moment he saw her again. Curiosity filled his mind as she turned toward Hatomi and Yasu. He saw the edge of a tattoo on her right shoulder under the wrap. He recognized the symbol from a religion not normally worshipped in Japan. Unconsciously, his hand slid the wrap from her shoulder, exposing the tattoo and he started tracing it. He felt her shudder and she reached up, grabbing his hand and pulling it into her lap. 

Yasu and Hatori moved closer to each other, speaking softly as they discussed what they would do after dinner. They didn't notice the interaction between the other two at their table. 

_Is it tender?_ Naru thought. 

_No,_ Mai answered. 

_You know, it's not really fair that you can read my mind._

_Right now, we are having a conversation. Direct contact makes it easier to communicate internally,_ Mai admitted. 

_Exactly how much can you hear?_

_Any thought you push at me. If it's something you are suppressing, I won't hear it . . . unless I push. You'd feel that, though. It feels like someone putting pressure on your entire head._

_So, I could tell you everything I want to do with you right now and you'd be forced to hear it?_ Naru teased her. Mai shoved his hand off her lap and reached for her drink, looking up as a throat cleared to her left. She looked up at the man standing next to her in a navy blue suit. He was tall and in good shape, considering his age. His white hair was thick and the wrinkles were noticeable. 

"Good evening, Dr. Taniyama. I was unaware that you come to Kozue." Mai put down the glass without taking a sip. Naru saw her hand shaking and glared at the man that towered above them. Mai stood up and bowed to the man. Naru watched as the man took in Mai's outfit, uncaring that it was very apparent that he wasn't looking at her clothing. 

"Good evening to you as well, Dr. Yoshiogo. It is merely a special evening for us." Yasu's head shot up as he heard the name. Naru saw panic flash in his eyes. 

"Dr. Yoshiogo, Mai has told us all about you. How are you this evening?" Yasuhara stood up easily and bowed, not taking his eyes from the man. "I am Yasuhara Omasu, a lawyer with Minagawa Ebisu. I am also Mai's best friend." Dr. Yoshiogo's eyebrows went up slightly at the word "lawyer", but he quickly covered up his reaction. 

"I am quite fine, but I would be better if Dr. Taniyama joined me for a drink this evening. I'm sure you won't mind her absence for a while." He continued staring at Mai while talking to Yasu. 

"He might not mind, but I do," Naru said coldly, standing up behind Mai and putting his arms around her. 

"And you are?" 

"Her boyfriend." Naru stared at the older man until he stepped back, realizing he would not be able to get the young doctor away from her friends. Dr. Yoshiogo frowned at Naru, then looked at Mai again. 

"Let's just plan on having a drink together another time, Dr. Taniyama." He reached toward her, but Naru pulled Mai back against him and away from the roving hand. Mai nodded and waited for the doctor to walk away. 

"Okay, I don't know who he was, but he's creepy," Hatomi said quietly as everyone else sat down. 

"You have no idea," Mai muttered as Naru watched her reaction. Mai was not comfortable with the other man . . . and she liked everyone. He didn't like the way that man looked at his Mai. He added another thing to talk with her about later. 

"That's him, isn't he?" Yasu asked, glancing over his shoulder at the older man before leaning over the table to whisper loudly. "And he's still looking at you. Well, I guess that killed our original plan." 

"What plan?" Hatomi asked. 

"Yasu was going to pretend to be my boyfriend to get that jerk to leave me alone," Mai whispered back angrily. "He thinks he can have any woman in the hospital because he's in administration. Every time he touches me, my skin crawls." 

"And the fact that Mai hasn't succumbed to his charms just makes her more desirable in his eyes," Yasu added. "Hatomi, I don't think we're going back to your place. I have to make sure Mai is safe." He squeezed her hand as she looked upset by the turn of events. 

"Don't worry, I'll take her home," Naru injected. "I'm sure Hatomi doesn't get as much time with you as she'd like." Hatomi's face lit up as she looked at Naru. 

"Really?" she asked, not willing to give up her night with her boyfriend. Naru nodded with a smirk on his face. He didn't need to see Mai's face to know her reaction. 

"Am I even here?" Mai asked, crossing her arms across her chest angrily. "I am not helpless. I can protect myself." 

"Yes, but you don't need to be fired from your first real job after getting your degree, Mai-chan." Yasu wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Just accept that we're taking care of you."

- x X x - 

Haruhi followed Naru after giving her goodnights to Yasu and Hatomi. She saw Dr. Yoshiogo start to move toward her as they moved toward the restaurant's exit. Naru glanced over her shoulder, then slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. 

"What are you . . ." Mai began, but was cut off when Naru kissed her. Mai forced herself not to push him away. He was only protecting her from Yoshiogo, she told herself. However, the kiss didn't end quickly. Instead, she felt his lips push insistently against her own. She allowed her own lips to part as his tongue licked insider her mouth. Moaning, she touched his tongue with her own. She felt her heart beating faster and her body heating up. She knew she wanted more. 

Naru pulled back and looked at deep in her eyes. She couldn't pull away or hide the fact that she was breathing heavily. She was so wrapped up in her reactions to him that she didn't notice his. He grabbed her hand and pulled her from the restaurant. 

Neither noticed the playboy doctor glaring at the pair as they left. The wine glass he was holding shattered. Yasu mentally noted the doctor's reaction. He'd warn Naru so Mai would have two people watching out for her safety.

- x X x - 

Naru opened the door to his car for Mai. She pulled her wrap tight around her shoulders and moved past him. He could smell her perfume. All he had to do was reach out to touch her. He forced himself to be a gentleman and closed the door after she tucked her dress around her. 

Naru slid in and started the car. Glancing at Mai, he could see she was deep in thought. He decided to take her back to her place as Yasu and Hatomi were definitely going back to Hatomi's place. He quickly drove to her apartment and found a park. Getting out, he opened the door and offered a hand to her. Mai looked up and blushed, glad it was too dark for him to see. 

"I can take it from here, Naru," Mai said. "Thank you for the ride back." Naru shook his head. 

"I told Yasu I'd make sure you're safe. That means in your apartment after I check it to make sure no one is in there." Mai glared at him. Naru ignored her and grabbed her arm. He made sure to keep his mind blank so she couldn't read him. He didn't let go until they were standing in front of her apartment door. 

"Okay. I'm home and safe," Mai said as she unlocked the door. "You can go home now." 

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Mai?" Naru said, moving closer to her. Mai opened the door and hurried inside, ignoring Naru's chuckle. As she slipped off her shoes, she felt Naru pulling her wrap from her and hanging it on the hook near the door. Mai felt the need to put her high heel shoes back on as she suddenly felt short next to the narcissist. 

"I just think you should go." Mai said, not looking at him. Naru put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. He leaned forward. Mai wanted nothing more than another kiss like they shared at the restaurant. 

"I need to check the entire apartment first to make sure you are safe," he whispered in her ear. He felt her shudder slightly. "You could offer me tea for my trouble." Mai sighed, knowing she wouldn't get rid of him easily. She nodded and went into the kitchen. She could hear Naru going into every room, moving around it and coming back out. Mai wondered if she left anything embarrassing out in her room. 

Naru returned as the tea pot started whistling. Mai made him a cup of tea and placed it at the table. She put her own across the table from him. He picked his cup up and went into the living room. He placed his cup on the table in front of the loveseat. He removed his jacket, throwing it over the back of the back of Yasu's chair before sitting in the loveseat. Mai watched him, trying to figure out what he was doing. 

"Are you going to stare at me all night or sit down?" Naru asked. Mai sighed and picked up her cup, moving to a chair across from the loveseat. 

"Mai, you need to sit next to me," Naru said, leaning back with his teacup in his hands. 

"Why? If you want to talk, I can hear you from here." Naru stared at her and Mai knew he'd just pull her up and move her if she didn't sit next to him, so she moved around the table and sat down. 

"Isn't that better?" He leaned forward and put his tea down. Mai nodded slightly. Naru reached up and put his hand on her right shoulder, starting to trace the tattoo again. Mai could feel her powers connecting them. She fought to keep her body from responding as well. 

"What is the tattoo for?" Naru asked as his fingertip lightly traced it. She could give him a short answer, but knew he'd question her until he was satisfied. 

"It's like one of Ayako's charms. It tells me if there's a demon nearby and protects me from possession." 

_How can you tell if there's a demon_, Naru asked. Mai could hear his deep voice inside her head. She bit her bottom lip. 

_It burns._

_And you can't be possessed?_

_Nothing is 100%. I can be but it needs to be pretty powerful._ Naru nodded. He could feel his body responding to her closeness. He wanted to pull her into his lap and kiss her. He pushed the desire away. 

_How can Yasu talk to you internally without touching you?_

_He has a tattoo that lets him do that._

_So, how do I get one?_

_There is no way I would allow you into my head anytime you wanted._

_No way? I guess I could just continue touching you,_ Naru smirked as Mai's head whipped around. He bent down and kissed her. Mai could taste the tea on his lips. He pulled back slightly, waiting to see what she'd do. Mai put her tea cup down on the table and turned toward him. She put her hands behind his neck and pulled his lips down to hers


End file.
